Chair



Dec. s, 1936.

CHAIR Filed Feb. l0, 1934 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 8, 1936 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAIR AlbertP. Ball, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 10, 1934, SerialNo. 710,635

s 8 Claims. (Cl. 155-v-50) This invention relates to chairs and articles stock. As shown `in Fig. 1 such a construction of furniture which may be used as such or may comprise a floor engaging member A, a which may be utilized in vehicle body conseat support and back member B, and a back structions to provide the lseats therein. brace and arm member C. v 5 One of the objects of this invention is to pro- 'Ihe floor engaging portion A is preferably, 5 vide a construction for a chair or other article although not necessarily, substantially U-shaped of furniture in which a frame is formed of in plan view and comprises a rear portion III tubular metal stock bent to form a floor enand spaced parallel side portions II extending gaging portion, a vertically spaced seat supforwardly therefrom, the side portions II being porting portion, a back portion, and arm rests, bentv upwardly at their ends to form the up- 10 the oor engaging portion and the seat or arm Wardly extending leg portions I2. A brace I3 rest portion being connected together by means is secured adjacent the ends of the upwardly Aoi coil spring members permitting vertical anextending leg members I2 and holds the forguiar` movement of the seat supporting portion ward portion of the oor engaging member A in relative to the iioor engaging portion. a predetermined position while at the same time 15 Other objects of this invention will appear in lending strength thereto. The seat support and the :following description `and appended claims, back member B may also be formed of a single reference being had to the accompanying drawpiece of tubular metal stock, the back portion being, forming a part of this speciication wherein ing substantially U-shaped in elevation and comlike reference characters designate correspondprising a. top rail portion I4 and parallel spaced 0 ing parts in the several views.` side portions yI5 having seat supporting por- Fig. 1-is a perspective view of a chair contions I6 extending substantially at right angles structed in accordance with my invention showforwardly therefrom. The back brace and arm ing a fragmentary view of a covering applied member C may likewise be formed of a single to the chair frame. piece of tubular metal stock formed substan- Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially U-shaped in plan View to provide a back tially in section showing the method of conbrace I1 having spaced apart parallel sides I8 necting the floor engaging portion and the seat extending forwardly therefrom and furnishing portion of the chair by means of the coil spring the arms of the chair, the ends of the memmembers. y bers I8 being bent substantially at right angles 30 Fig. 3'is a fragmentary elevation partially in and extending downwardly therefrom to prosection taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the vide portions I9 to which the seat supporting direction of the arrows. members I6 are joined as by welding. The sides Fig. 4 is a. sectional view taken substantially I5 of the seat support and back member B are on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 in the direction of secured to the member C by pins 20 or the like. 35 the arrows. The arm portions I8 may be provided with arm Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially rest pads 2I formed of wood` or any other suiton the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the able material, these pads being provided with arrows. relatively wide. crowned upper surfaces upon Before explaining in detail the present inwhich the arms of the occupant of the chair 40 vention it is to be understood that the invenmay rest comfortably. The underside of each tion is not limited in its application tothe of the arm rest portions is formed with rabdetails of construction and arrangement of parts beted portions 22 to receive the top of the tuillustrated in the accompanying drawing, since bular stock forming the arms I8, the pads 2| the invention is capable'of other embodiments being secured to the arms I8 by any suitable 45 and of being practiced or carried out in various means as, for example, clamps, staples or the ways. Also ,it is to be understood that the like which are not here shown. phraseology or terminology employed herein is 'I'he seat support and back member B joine for the purpose ofdescription and not of limias above described to the arm and back brace tation, and it is not intended to limit the inmember C acts as a unit and isv secured to the 50 vention claimed herein beyond the requirements iloor engaging membeLA through coil units 30 of the prior art. formed of spring material such as spring steel A chair or like article of furniture embodying rod stocky or the like. As shown in detail in the invention herein may be constructed of a Fig. 2, each of the coil units 30 comprises nested plurality of separate pices of tubular metal spring coils 3| and 32. One end of each off-55 the coils 3| and 32 is placed in an adapter 33, and these adapters are telescoped into the open ends of the members I9. The other or lower end of each of the coils 3| and 32 is secured to an adapter 34, and these-adapters are telescoped into the open ends of the legs I2. A resilient buier 35 formedjof rubber or other suitable material has an opening through which one end of each of the springs 3| and 32 extends into the adapter 34. Since the base portions 35e of the rubber pieces are interposed between the abutting ends of the members `|9 and I2, it Will be seen that they are maintained in position against displacement by the ends of the springs 3| and 32 passing therethrough. Each member 35, as shown in'Fig. 4, is substantially U-shaped in plan view and has an upstanding lip 35a formed integrally with the base portionl 35h. It will be apparent that the members 35 act as resilient buiers between the opposed terminal meeting ends of the members I9 and I2. Moreover, the upwardly extending and outwardly curved resilient lip 35a provides a jacket or cap at all times embracing the lower end of the member I9. This curved or convex shaped lip is so formed with the proper radius of curvature as to provide a suicient space or recess within which the terminal end of member I9 is free to move outwardly when the seat is oscillated, vas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The upper portion of the lip 35a. will yield sufficiently to accommodate this movement while at all times confining the terminal end of member I9 and thus maintaining a closed joint between the ends of members' I9 and I2 regardless of the relative movement thereof.

The back of each of the members I9 is cut away a suitable distance along the lower end thereof as at 40 (Figs. 3 and 4) in such a manner that the lower ends of the members I9 are substantially U-shaped in cross section and are open at the rear to receive and house a portion of the coils 43Il. This construction permits the tubular members I2and I9 to be connected together in vertical alinement and in substantially abutting relation by the spring coils and provides suicient clearance so that the tilting movement of the unitary frames B and C of the chair relative to the floor engaging frame A is permitted without binding or interference.

The seat proper may be formed of any desired type of upholstery as, for example, a fabric 45 which may be secured to each of the members I5. The back also may be upholstered in any desired manner as, for example, by means of the fabric it which may be secured to the members I5. The particular type of upholstery forms no part of the present invention and is therefore not described in greater detail, it being understood that instead of the fabric portions d5 and i6 any part or all of the framing may be enclosed, if desired, with any suitable type of upholstery material.

The coils 30 are sufliciently resilient to permit vertical angular movement of the members B and C as a unit and to restore the parts to the original relative positions. The portions B and C preferably form substantially a rigid unit adapted to rock downwardly relative to the substantially rigid oor engaging member A when in the position shown in Fig. 1. Thus the members .B and C as a unit oscillate or swing about a point which is determined by the location of the connecting coils 39.

The tubular metal stock from which the members A, B and C may be formed in a preferred construction may be seamless steel tubing or the like. The frame members may be formed of other suitable material and may each be formed of a single piece or of separate pieces of stock as may be preferred. In any case, the movement of the seat portion relative to the floor engaging portion is permitted by the coils 30 and it will be seen that the improved construction is such that the coils 30 may be readily removed for replacement purposes.

I claim:

1. A frame for a chair or like article of furniture including a substantially U-shaped oor engaging member formed of tubular stock having the ends thereofextending vertically to form -upright leg portions, a horizontal seat-forming member terminating in a back portion extending substantially vertically thereof, arm members secured to said seat-forming member and terminating in substantially vertical end portions, the end portions of said upright leg portions and said arm members being substantially alined, and means connecting the respective alined portions comprising a plurality 'of resilient coils each having ends projecting outwardly in opposite alined directions therefrom, one of the ends of a coil being extended into the end of an arm member and the other end of said coil being extended into the end of the alined leg portion, thereby to yieldably connect said arm member and seatforming member as a unit with said oor engaging member.

2. A frame for a chair or like article of furniture comprising a plurality of pieces of tubular metal stock bent to provide a iioor engaging unit including a substantially U-shaped portion adapted to rest upon'the floor, said portion having its free ends turned upwardly to provide upright hollow legs, a horizontal seat, a back and arm rests secured together as a unit, said arm rests having their free ends providing depending tubular extensions substantially alined with and in juxtaposition to said upright legs, and a plurality of spring coils each having oppositely extending free end portions telescoped with the juxtaposed ends of said depending tubular extensions and said upright hollow legs and permitting oscillation of the seat, back and arm rest portions as a unit relative to said iioor engaging unit about an axis lying within said spring coils.

3. A. frame for a chair or like article of furniture, comprising a length of tubular stock bent to provide a rigid one piece seat and back frame,

a second length of tubular stock bent to provide a rigid one piece frame forming a back brace and arm members having depending ends and secured to said seat and back frame, a third length of tubular stock bent toprovide a rigid one piece iloor engaging frame having front upright legs, a pair of spring coils having certain ends thereof detachably ,telescoped Ilinto said legs and having other of the ends thereof telescoped into the depending ends of vthe arm members thereby to provide a single axis for relative oscillatory movement of said rst-named frames and said oor engaging frame.

4. A chair or the like comprising a frame formed of metal stock shaped to provide a iloor pending tubular extensions substantially abutting the ends of said leg portions, and spring coils disposed below said seat portion and having certain of the ends thereof inserted in the ends of said tubular extensions and having other ends thereof inserted in the ends of said upright tubular leg portions.

5. A chair or the like comprising tubular-metalv lof said extensions and having other ends thereof inserted in the ends of said upright leg portions, and a yieldable cap closing the joint between said extensions and leg portions.

6. A chair comprising a unitary seat and back frame formed of tubular stock, a unitary iloor engaging frame also formed of tubular stock, said frames having front vertically alined leg members terminating substantially in abutting relation, spring coils telescoping with and joining said leg members together, and yieldable means closing the joint between said abutting members.

7. A chair comprising a unitary seat and back iframe, a unitary ioorI engaging frame, said frames being formed from tubular stock and having front vertically alined leg members terminating substantially in abutting relation, and spring coils having oppositely extending end portions telescoping with and joining said leg members together, said coils having portions of the convolutions thereof disposed Within .the area of certain of the leg members.

8. An article of furniture comprising a iloor engaging tubular metal frame having rigid front upright leg portions and a seat, a back and arm rest frame formed from tubular stock and having depending front extensions provided with cut-away portions, and resilient coils partially nested in the cut-away portions and having oppositely projecting ends, certain of said ends being secured in the upper ends of said leg portions, other of said ends being secured in the lower ends of said extensions, said coils being transversely alined and providing the sole means for permitting relative oscillatory movement of said frames.

ALBERT P. BALL. 

